EP0420301A1

EP0420301A1 - A re-sealable dispenser-container

Info

Publication number: EP0420301A1
Application number: EP90120487A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kenji Nakamura
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-12-03
Filing date: 1980-12-02
Publication date: 1991-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2000-12-02
Also published as: EP0420301B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a re-sealable dispenser-container comprising a main container body made of three impervious sheet-like materials, the peripheries of which are sealed together in a superimposed condition so that two spaces (11, 12), one containing wet and one containing dry tissues for cosmetic or toilet use are formed, with one opening, a flap (3) having a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface and fixed to the main body at one end thereof to cover the opening, and a non-adhesive member (5) adhered to the adhesive surface and which member is used for closing the opening in order to prevent the adhesive surface from directly contacting the wet tissues contained in the space for the wet tissues.

Description

(Division from European patent application No. 83 112 649.5, which is a Division from European patent application No. 80 107 516.9)
The present invention relates to a re-sealable dispenser-container containing wet and dry tissues made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as tissue, paper, woven or knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, sheeted and cut cotton layers (cotton balls) for make-up and the like. More particularly, the re-sealable dispenser-container of the present invention is suitable for containing sheets of fiber materials which are wetted with water, toilet water or a medicinal liquid.
Recently, tissues wetted with water, toilet water, medicinal liquid, e.g. disinfectant liquid, and the like have been utilized to clean hands or face, or to remove make-up. There are many kinds of containers for wet tissues, such as boxes and bags. Many conventional containers are plastic products made by injection molding or vacuum molding, so that the containers are bulky and are not suitable for carrying. Further, the cost of producing such containers is comparatively high.
Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. 49-47018 (47018/74) discloses a flat container made of water-proofing sheet. The container is produced by folding the sheet into thirds, having a bottom part, a middle part and a top part and then bonding both side edges of the bottom part and the middle part. The middle part has an opening for taking out contents therefrom, wheras the top part acts as a lid for covering the opening and the top part has an adhesive layer coated on a surface of the top part facing the middle part, along the edges of the top part, in a
shape. The top part is re-sealably adhered to the middle part by means of the adhesive layer. Such a container may be potable and can be used to contain wet tissues. However, this container involves several difficulties. For example, odor of the adhesive infects contents because the air inside the container mixes with the air between the middle part and the top part, i.e. adhesive layer, because of the opening as a result the contents changed in odor or quality. It is difficult to automatically coat adhesive on the inside surface of the top part in a
shape and also difficult to form the adhesive layer at a constant position in each container, so that reliably sealing the top part and the middle part is not ensured. The container cannot be made in series production.
In US-A- 4 156 493 there is disclosed a re-sealable dispenser-conatainer for containing sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use comprising:
a container body made of an impervious sheet-like material which wraps around said sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use;
the container body being formed in a rectangular shape and having at least one opening;
a flap one end of which is attached to the body at a position apart from an end of said opening and which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface; and
a non-adhesive made of an impervious sheet-like material in a size at least the same as that of said opening formed on the container body and being adhered to the flap at a position corresponding to the opening.
A drawback of the dispenser-container of US-A- 4 156 493 consists therein that it cannot be continuously manufactured. More specifically, the dispenser-container is formed from discontinuous and separate sheet-like material by filing the sheet-like material into two and sealing the three peripheral edges of the separate sheet-like material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser-container which is able to repeatedly and reliably seal an opening of a main container body for taking out contents therefrom.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container in which the odor of adhesive to be used for sealing does not infect contents in the main container body.
A further object of the invention is to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container which is able to assure user that nobody has taken the contents out of the container before the user uses it.
It is another object of the invention to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container which can contain two kinds of contents without any risk of mutual contamination.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide sheet-like fiber materials for make-up or toilet articles, to be contained in a re-sealable portable container made of impervious material.
According to the present invention, a re-sealable dispenser-container for containing sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use comprises:
a flexible container body (1) made of a liquid and gas impervious material and having two outer, flexible, substantially rectangular faces (1a, 1b);
an inner, flexible, liquid and gas impervious sheet (9) which is impervious against any risk of contamination, between said outer faces (1a, 1b) for dividing said container body (1) into two separate, closed chambers (11,12) fluidly isolated from each other without any risk of contamination;
a first one (1a) of said faces having a first elongated opening formed centrally therein and extending in the lengthwise direction of said first face (1a);
a flap (3) having dimensions greater than said first opening and having one end fixedly attached to said first face (1a) at a position adjacent to and spaced from said first opening so as to define a container body facing surface (3a) and an outwardly facing surface (3b) thereof, said flap (3) having a tab (7);
a pressure sensitive adhesive material (4) on said container body facing surface (3a);
a non-adhesive member (5) made of a fluid impervious sheet-like material having dimensions less than said container body facing surface (3a) and at least equal to the dimenions of said first opening and secured to said container body facing surface (3a) by said adhesive material (4) at a position which seals said opening when said container body facing surface (3a) of said flap (3) is adhered by said adhesive material (4) to said first face (1a);
said wet sheet-like materials contained in one said chamber (12) formed between said first face (1a) and said inner impervious sheet (9);
a second one (1b) of said faces having a second elongated opening (13) formed centrally therein and extending in the lengthwise direction of said second face (1b);
said dry sheet-like materials having a property different from that of said wet sheet-like materials and contained in another chamber (11) formed between said second face (1b) and said inner impervious sheet (9).
The dispenser-container of the invention can be used to contain a variety of items, i.e. paper, tissue, candy, nailes, cotton balls etc.. More particularly, the dispenser-container of the invention is very useful as it can contain sheet-like fiber materials such as tissue, gauze, apper, woven or knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, cotton balls for make-up, and so on, and especially suitable for wetted sheet-like fiber materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The Figure is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dispenser-container partially broken away, the container having two spaces in its interior, a flap being provided for one of spaces and a perforated straight line being provided for the other space.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described in detail referring to the accompanying drawing. As shown in the drawing in the re-sealable dispenser-container according to the present invention an interior of a main body 1 is divided into two spaces 11 and 12 by a partition 9. One of the spaces 12 has an opening (not shown), a flap 3 with an adhesive surface 4 and a non-adhesive closing member 5. For the other space 11, a straight perforated line 13 is provided in the main body 1, which main body can be easily broken along the perforated line 13 to take out contents therefrom.
The main container body 1 is a film made of synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, acetate, cellophane, and etc., and the film may be single layer or a laminated layer. The film may be a laminated layer of the above-mentioned film and aluminium sheet. The main container body as shown is a flat bag. Such bag is made of three superimposed sheets by bonding longitudinal edges of the sheet and then bonding both transverse end edges. Bonding edges of film may be carried out by heat-sealing, ultrasonic sealing or high-frequency sealing.
The flaps 3 may be made of the same material as mentioned-above in connection with the main container body. The flap 3 may be fixed to the main body 1 by means of heat-sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high-frequency sealing, or adhesive bonding. The fixing means is appropriately selected in accordance with material of the main body 1. The flap 3 has a larger area than the opening in the main body 1 in order to completely cover the opening. The flap 3 may be in various shapes such as a circle, a rectangle, an ellipse, a racing track shape, and so on. The inside surfaces of the flap 3 facing the main container body 1 are coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as a acrylic adhesive, rubber adhesive, polyester adhesive, polyolefin adhesive, and the like, which adhesive may be coated by means of roller coating, knife coating or spray coating. If the flap 3 and the closing member 5 are transparent, it is convenient to see the state of the contents.
The flap 3 may be provided with a projecting part 7 at the free end and thereof in order to easily pick up the flap with the fingers to open the flap. Preferably the projecting part 7 is not coated with adhesive.
The closing member 5 is preferably made of a comparatively flexible film or synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyvinyl chlorid, and the like.
The main body 1 is provided with a partition 9 in its interior. The partition 9 divides the interior of the main body 1 into two spaces 11 and 12, space 12 has an opening not shown. The partiition 9 is made of a film of synthetic resins as used for a main body 1, and preferably the circumference of the partition 9 on both sides may be coated with a hot-melt adhesive having a lower melting point than the main body.
Such a dispenser-container having two spaces is portable and very convenient for containing two different kinds of contents, as dry tissues and wet tissues.
Contents to be accomodated in the interior of a main container body 1 are preferably contained before completion of the forming of the dispenser-container from one or more sheet-like materials, i.e. before sealing the edges of a sheet or sheets longitudinally and transversely.
Accordingly to the present invention, a re-sealable dispenser-container can be produced according to a method as described in detail in European patent specification 80 107 516.9.

Claims

A re-sealable dispenser-container containing wet and dry tissues, said container comprising:
a flexible container body (1) made of a liquid and gas impervious material and having two outer, flexible, substantially rectangular faces (1a, 1b);
an inner, flexible, liquid and gas impervious sheet (9) which is impervious against any risk of contamination, between said outer faces (1a, 1b) for dividing said container body (1) into two separate, closed chambers (11,12) fluidly isolated from each other without any risk of contamination;
a first one (1a) of said faces having a first elongated opening formed centrally therein and extending in the lengthwise direction of said first face (1a);
a flap (3) having dimensions greater than said first opening and having one end fixedly attached to said first face (1a) at a position adjacent to and spaced from said first opening so as to define a container body facing surface (3a) and an outwardly facing surface (3b) thereof, said flap (3) having a tab (7);
a pressure sensitive adhesive material (4) on said container body facing surface (3a);
a non-adhesive member (5) made of a fluid impervious sheet-like material having dimensions less than said container body facing surface (3a) and at least equal to the dimenions of said first opening and secured to said container body facing surface (3a) by said adhesive material (4) at a position which seals said opening when said container body facing surface (3a) of said flap (3) is adhered by said adhesive material (4) to said first face (1a):
said wet sheet-like materials contained in one said chamber (12) formed between said first face (1a) and said inner impervious sheet (9);
a second one (1b) of said faces having a second elongated opening (13) formed centrally therein and extending in the lengthwise direction of said second face (1b);
said dry sheet-like materials having a property different from that of said wet sheet-like materials and contained in another chamber (11) formed between said second face (1b) and said inner impervious sheet (9).